ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2021) Abdullah Salem Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Indonesia, stated that the bilateral ties between the UAE and Indonesia have been witnessing ongoing development and registered numerous achievements, adding that the renaming of a strategic road in Indonesia after His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, highlights the strong bilateral ties between the two countries.
In an interview with the Emirates news Agency (WAM), Al Dhaheri said that this initiative is a token of appreciation for the leading role of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed in boosting the overall cooperation between the two friendly countries, noting that his official visit to Indonesia in July 2019 marked a key milestone in the relations between the two countries, which were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
"The leadership of the two countries has strong and profound ties underscored by its continuous communication and mutual visits that have led to the development of Emirati-Indonesian relations. For example, the UAE announced that it will invest US$10 billion in the Indonesian Sovereign Fund and will focus on strategic local sectors," he added.
On cooperation opportunities, he highlighted the fact that there are promising opportunities for that, given the significant natural and human resources of both countries, stressing that the UAE believes in the significant economic and investment importance of Indonesia, being the largest economy in Southeast Asia, which is projected to become the seventh-largest economy in the world by 2030.
The bilateral cooperation between the two countries will witness further development to become a strategic partnership, he further added, affirming that the UAE and Indonesia share many cultural and social similarities, as both their communities are characterised by pluralism and diversity and embody the values of peaceful coexistence and cultural diversity.
Al Dhaheri stressed that both countries denounce hatred and violence, and, therefore, can cooperate in the implementation of joint programmes aimed at promoting the values of human fraternity and openness to other cultures.
On the economic and investment cooperation between the UAE and Indonesia, Al Dhaheri further stressed that current Emirati investments in Indonesia target new sectors, most notably renewable energy, strategic manufacturing, coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine production, agriculture, food security, infrastructure, mangrove farms, digital learning, tourism, innovative economy and religious affairs.
"The UAE is currently planning to implement several promising projects that will boost our bilateral ties to a comprehensive and sustainable partnership. These projects include a solar power plant constructed by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), in cooperation with PJB, in Cirata, West Java, which will be the largest floating solar power plant in Southeast Asia and the first of its kind in Indonesia, as well as a liquified petroleum gas supply project worth $2 billion implemented by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Pertamina, and an agreement between DP World and the Maspion Group to establish a joint venture worth $1.2 billion," he further said.
Al Dhaheri also explained that tourism is a promising sector for future cooperation between the two countries, given their many tourist attractions while pointing out that there was a significant increase in the number of Emirati tourists visiting Indonesia, which is expected to rise further with the return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under this framework, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in July 2019 to encourage engagement in several promising tourism projects, he added.
He then highlighted the social and human convergence between their peoples, as well as the UAE’s continuous support for Indonesians over many decades, most notably during natural disasters, stating that Emirati charity associations have helped construct mosques, schools and medical establishments and supported orphans and poor people.
Al Dhaheri cited Emirates Red Creascent’s support for thousands of families affected by an earthquake that hit Sulawesi in January 2021.
Regarding health, 42 MoUs were signed between Kimia Farma and Indofarma in Indonesia to establish their cooperation in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, especially COVID-19 vaccines, he further added, noting that the UAE sent an aircraft loaded with 20 tonnes of medical supplies to Indonesia in April 2020 to support its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, benefitting over 20,000 medical workers.
